Some New Year’s Resolutions for Your HOA

The changing of the calendar is a great chance to reflect on the previous year and establish some goals and resolutions for the new one, both in your personal life and with your homeowners association. If you’re a member of an HOA board, consider some of the goals you have with your organization in the coming year and the types of resolutions you might want to stick to.

Here are some guidelines to help you find success in this new year:

Always put the community first: The HOA should exist to serve the community, not the personal interests of board members. This is at the heart of volunteerism in general. If you are always focused on the greater good and the good of the people in your community, this is a great way to set your HOA up for success.

Get more involvement from homeowners: There are a variety of ways you can get homeowners more involved in your operations. You might consider setting up committees to get them involved in planning events or dealing with certain community issues. This gives them opportunities to feel like they have a stake in the future and quality of the community. Committees can focus on architecture, social events, landscaping, security or just about anything else.

Treat your HOA like a business: Your homeowners association is technically a corporation, so you should treat it like one. Be professional at your meetings, and make sure you always have all the information you need to make informed decisions that will benefit your HOA in the long run.

Make sure you have a clear vision and mission: Again, thinking like a corporation, you should have a mission statement for your HOA that guides every aspect of its operations. If you don’t already have one, spend some time at the beginning of the new year thinking about the most important guiding principles you have, the types of goals you have for your HOA and the long-term vision you have for the organization (including the types of accomplishments you hope to achieve).

Prioritize outstanding communication: Transparency and excellent communication are crucial to operating a successful HOA. Never leave your homeowners in the dark about decisions—if you are open with the decisions you make and the processes you used to arrive at those decisions, they’re going to be more understanding and even more willing to get involved. It’s better to over-communicate than under-communicate.

Practice gratitude: Take a moment to thank the people in your community and show your appreciation for them. By displaying your gratitude frequently, you’ll find your community is a much friendlier place to live, and people are going to buy into the vision that you have set for it.

For more tips for your HOA, contact Tru-Star Management Solutions, LLC. We look forward to working with you!